Birding

Grand Isle- A Bird Lovers Paradise.

Grand Isle offers a diverse selection of birding habitats–from salt marsh and bays to sand dune beaches and a dense forest of oak and hackberry trees. This is truly a unique place for sighting songbirds, waders, shorebirds, raptors and waterfowl.

Grand Isle Beach

Anytime of year, the beach at Grand Isle is a perfect place to watch some of the many species of shorebirds. You will also be able to view gulls, terns, skimmers and, of course, the Louisiana State Bird – the brown pelican.

Back of the Island

The marshes that line the back of Grand Isle provide a perfect habitat for wading birds, including the great blue heron, little blue heron and other herons; ibis and snowy egrets; and occasionally the pink roseate spoonbills.

The Oak-Hackberry Forest

A compact tract of live oak/hackberry forest, mostly preserved by the Nature Conservancy and private land-owners, offers a welcome resting spot for nearly 100 species of birds after making a 500-mile trek across the Gulf of Mexico. When the forces of nature align with the migration, a strong thunderstorm will cause a phenomenon known as “fall out,” where hundreds or thousands of exhausted birds will fall out of the sky into the safety of the trees. The list of potential birds to see is quite long and includes flycatchers, vireos, thrushes and mimic thrushes, tanagers, grosbeaks, buntings, orioles and warblers.

Queen Bess Island

Located only four miles north of Barataria Pass, the island is home to thousands of brown pelicans and roseate spoonbills.
This is where Louisiana began to bring back its state bird from the brink of extinction in the late 1960’s.